Cleaner



Nov. 12, 1940. l 5 ROGERS 2,221,557

CLEANER Filed July 30, 1938 52 2'7 50 2 INVENTOR.

Kf/WVfT/f J. 20652;.

BY m;

ATTORNEYJ.

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEANER Niles, Mich.

Application July 30, 1938, Serial No. 222,074

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cleaners, and particularly to cleaning mops having sponge rubber cleaning elements.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide a simple and inexpensive cleaner.

A further object is to provide a cleaner having a single shiftable wringing or compressing element.

A further object is to provide a cleaner comprising a compressible cleaning element mounted in a channel having one side wall extending substantially the full height of the element and of curved shape, and a single wringer shiftable in an arc to progressively compress said element against said side wall.

A further object is to provide a cleaner with a novel and simple wringing attachment.

Other objects will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of the cleaner in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the cleaner with the wringing attachment in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary reduced top plan view of the cleaner.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified embodiment of the cleaner in side elevation.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral Ill designates a compressible cleaning element, preferably formed of sponge rubber. The cleaning element i is mounted in an inverted sheet metal channel comprising a back II, a front wall I2, 35 and a rear wall 13. Front wall l2 and the upper portion of rear wall i3 extend from back II in" converging relation, with the lower portion of rear wall l3 curved rearwardly outwardly to terminate slightly above the rear lower edge of u cleaner Ill. The portion of cleaner ill below front channel flange l2 flares forwardly therefrom, the curvature of rear wall l3 defining the limit of rearward. flaring of the lower portion of the cleaner. 45 A handle ll mounts a pair of brackets I! having end flanges l6 seating against the upper portion of rear channel wall l3, and secured thereto by means of bolts I1 or the like.

A pair of curved arms it are pivoted at one end thereof on a cross shaft i9 extending between brackets l adjacent the sponge channel. A handle 20 is formed from a pair of elongated bars which diverge at 2i for rigid connection at 22 with the upper ends of arms it. The ends of 55 said bars project forwardly from interconnection 22 in downwardly curved form at 23 to terminate forwardly of the sponge channel and adjacent the lower edge of front channel wall l2. Thus portions 23 of the handle, and arms l8, form a pair of substantially C-shaped members curving upwardly and forwardly from shaft l9 and around the sponge channel; the interconnection 22 of the parts constituting a rigid assembly holding the parts in operative relation.

At the forward ends of arm portions 23 is journaled a shaft 24 extending parallel to the sponge channel and of substantially coextensive length therewith. Shaft 24 mounts a wringing element of irregular cross section as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and comprising substantially a quadrant portion25 concentric with shaft 24 from which a web portion 25 projects with the spongeengaging surface thereof extending at a tangent to or otherwise merging with the surface of quadrant portion 25, the element being completed by a reduced arcuate portion 21 spanning the portions 25 and 26. The wringer element is cut away at 28 to receive arms 23 and accommodate turning of the element relative to said arms. A stop member 29 is carried by each arm 23 adjacent the wringer element and includes a flange 30 adapted to be engaged by web 26 of the element for purposes to be hereinafter explained.

The normal position of the parts of the cleaner is illustrated in Fig. 1. In this position handle 20 extends adjacent handle i4 and is normally so positioned by the expansive action of sponge l0 acting on the wringer element mounted by arms 23 forming part of the handle assembly. The wringer element is positioned with the lower or sponge-engaging face of web 26 thereof in face engagement with the sponge. The lower surface of sponge I0 is curved by virtue of the flaring shape thereof, and the lower edge of rear channel wall I3 is substantially above the level of the central portion of the bottom surface of the sponge, whereby wall I3 will not scrape on the surface being cleaned in normal use of the device.

When it is desired to wring the cleaner, handle 20 is shifted forwardly away from handle it, pivoting on shaft I9. This pivots the C-shaped wringer element mounting therewith, until the parts assume the position illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the cleaning element I0 is completely wrung. In this wringing action the wringing element swings in an are about shaft I9 as a center, and progressively compresses the cleaning element between itself and rear channel wall ii to progressively and effectively expel and extract the contained liquid therefrom. In this wringing movement, the wringing element pivots by virtue of the ioumaled relation of its shaft 24 with arms 23, and when the end of the effective throw or travel, as in Fig. 2, is reached, the sponge engaging face of web 26 is positioned in opposed relation to channel wall l3 to provide a full flat-plate compression effect upon cleaning element Ill. The pivoting of the wringing element is effected by the frictional engagement of the element with the sponge cleaner I 0. Upon return of the parts to normal position, facilitated by the expansive action of sponge cleaner ID, the same frictional engagement of the parts serves to again pivot the wringing element toward starting position. There is a greater pivot or rotating action on the releasing stroke than on the compression stroke, and for this reason the stops 29 I are provided to insure the same starting position of the wringing element upon each wringing operation. As is best illustrated in Fig. 2, the curvature of rear channel wall l3, though generally complementary with the path of movement of the swinging wringer element, is not concentric therewith; the spacing of said wall from shaft i9 increasing progressively toward the lower end of said wall. By this arrangement the compression of the rubber upon operation of the wringer element progressively increases, and complete liquid expulsion from the cleaning element is insured by the action of the wringer element in forcing the liquid in advance thereof. The extent of the throw of the wringer element can be adjusted as desired by the proportions, arrangements, and location of the parts, and, if desired, this throw can be sufficient to cause the toe of web 26 to substantially bear on portion of the bottom surface of the sponge cleaner I 0.

While the irregularly shaped wringer element as above described is preferred, the device may use a simple roller 35 on shaft 24, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Care must be exercised in such construction to limit the throw of the roller to the lower forward edge of the sponge cleaner, in order to prevent the sponge from slipping past the roller and thus preventing normal return and release of the parts. In all other respects the simple roller serves equally as well as the preferred embodiment, and has the advantage of eliminating necessity for stops 29.

I claim:

1. A cleaner comprising a handle, a carrier mounted on said handle and gripping an expansible cleaning element which flares therefrom, said carrier including a wall substantially coextensive with and confining one side of said cleaning element, a rigid frame unit pivoted to said handle adjacent said carrier wall and arching the carrier, a wringing element carried by said frame unit and engaging the flared side of said cleaning element opposite said wall, said frame unit being adapted to swing said wringing element to traverse the normally flared side of said cleaning element and press the clearing element against said carrier wall, said cleaning element normally'holding said wringing element inoperative.

2. A cleaner as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier wall is curved and the pivot of said frame is positioned adjacent the concave side of said wall and eccentrically thereof.

3. A cleaner as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier wall is curved and the spacing between said wall and the pivot center of said swinging unit progressively increases in the direction of the outer end of said wall.

- 4. A cleaner as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wringing element is rotatable on said frame unit and has a substantially flat face pressing against said cleaning element when adjacent the outer limit of its wringing movement.

5. A cleaner as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wringing element is rotatable on said frame unit and has an arcuate face and a projection providing a flat face at a tangent to said arcuate face, and means on said frame unit for positioning the flat face of said wringing element in predetermined relation to said cleaning element after each wringing action.

6. A cleaner comprising acompressible cleaning element, a carrier mounting said element, a handle, means mounting said carrier on the end of said handle, a rigid frame pivoted to said mounting means and arching said carrier, said frame journallng a wringer element at its free end and adjacent one side of said cleaning element, said wringer element having a substantially flat surface merging with an arcuate surface concentric with said journal and normally facing said cleaning element, a handle projecting from said frame, and a curved plate engaging and substantially coextensive with the side of the cleaning element opposite said wringer element.

7. A cleaner as set forth in claim 6, and means on said frame for limiting rotation of said wringer element.

8. A cleaner comprising a handle, an inverted channel-shaped carrier mounted on the lower end of said handle and gripping an expansible cleaning element which flares outwardly therebelow, said carrier being provided with a wall extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom so as to be engaged by the rear side of said cleaning element, a rigid frame unit having a forward portion extending to the front of said cleaning element and pivotally carrying at said portion a wringing element extending across the effective length of said cleaning element, said frame being so movably mounted relative to said handle and carrier that said wringing element may be caused to traverse the normally flared front side of said cleaning element and press the cleaning element against said wall, the mounting of said frame also being so related to said cleaning element that said wringing element is normally supported by the flared front side of said cleaning element when said wringing element is in inoperative position, and said frame having an operating handle connected thereto.

9. A cleaner comprising a carrier gripping a sponge cleaning element which flares therefrom, said carrier including a curved wall substantially coextensive with and confining one face of said element, means mounting said carrier, a. frame pivoted to said means eccentrically of the center of curvature of said wall, and a wringer element journaled on said frame and adapted to traverse one side of said cleaning element and progressively press the same against said wall, the spacing between the wall and the wringer element progressively decreasing toward the outer end of said wall upon pivotal movement of said frame.

10. A cleaner comprising a carrier unit mounting a compressible cleaning element projecting therebelow in flared relation, said carrier including a downwardly extending backing wall normally engaging and confining one side of the flaring portion of said cleaning element, a wringer element engaging the other flared side of said cleaning element, means mounting said carrier and including a handle, and means pivoted to said mounting means adjacent said wall and journaling said wringer element for rolling said wringer element across the face of said cleaning element opposite said wall to press said cleaning element against said wall.

11. A cleaner comprising a. cleaning element, an inverted channel mounting said element and including a front wall narrow in transverse dimension and a rear wall comparatively wide in transverse dimension and extending below the front wall, means mounting said channel ineluding a handle, a rigid frame pivoted at one end to said mounting'means adjacent said rear wall, and a wringer element journaled by said frame and positioned adjacent to said front wall, said cleaning element flaring below said narrow channel wall to normally hold said wringer element in inoperative position, said wringer element traversing the normally flared face of said cleaning element to press the same against said rear wall upon pivotal movement of said frame. 10

KENNETH S.- ROGERS. 

